


Sleeping Habits

by Xiaojian



Category: Metal Gear
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Sleepy Cuddles, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-14
Updated: 2016-09-14
Packaged: 2018-08-15 01:42:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8037307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xiaojian/pseuds/Xiaojian
Summary: Mantis had once heard that you could tell a lot about a person from how they slept. He agreed, if only for the fact that Liquid Snake slept like an inconsiderate asshole with daddy issues.





	Sleeping Habits

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a request from mgs-kink on dreamwidth.

Mantis had once heard that you could tell a lot about a person from how they slept. He didn’t remember where he’d heard it. Probably in the mind of someone who was long dead by now. Regardless, it was probably the one platitude Mantis could agree with, if only for the fact that Liquid Snake slept like an inconsiderate asshole with daddy issues.

There was the clinging, first and foremost. Liquid knew that Mantis wasn’t exactly the biggest fan of being touched. And he respected that, while he was awake. But as soon as his head hit the pillow, suddenly Mantis’s sole purpose was to serve as a body pillow. It wasn’t just plain cuddling, either, oh no. Liquid clung to him like an octopus, winding all of his limbs around his skinny body and burying his face in the back of Mantis’s neck. It felt like some strange humanoid monster was trying to absorb him through osmosis. (Mantis always resisted the urge to make jokes about boa constrictors, because really, that wouldn’t do good things to his humorless reputation.)

Naturally, Mantis could only deal with that nonsense for so long. As soon as he had crawled (or teleported, if he was feeling lazy) out of Liquid’s grip, his boss turned to the tried and true nighttime practice of hogging every single inch of sheet. It was impressive, really, how quickly he managed to get them all wound around him like some wrinkled white cocoon.

But even that wasn’t the end of his sleeping escapades.

There were people who slept curled up in the fetal position, holding their legs tight to their chest. There were people who migrated to the center of the bed, taking up as much space as possible and making any other occupant of the bed sleep on the very edge. Somehow, Liquid managed to do both of these things.

Oh, and he snored. Because of course he did.

Despite everything, Mantis didn’t have it in him to get genuinely upset with his boss. The first time he had sat up and reached out a hand to wake Liquid up and tell him to get his act together, Liquid’s face had stopped him. He looked vulnerable, soft in a way he never did in his waking hours. That image wasn’t helped by the mess of fluffy blond hair around his head. Or the thumb he had jammed into his mouth.

“I can’t believe I tolerate you,” Mantis sighed, resuming his spot with half his body dangling off the side of the bed.

That didn’t mean he couldn’t get his revenge once Liquid was awake.

“I do not,” He insisted, crossing his arms and puffing out his chest and managing to look very intimidating and indignant for someone who sucked his thumb in his sleep.

“You very much do,” Mantis said. “Do you need the memory? Here.”

Liquid’s cheeks flushed, his lip twitching. “You’re making that up to screw with me.”

“Believe me, if I wanted to screw with you, I have many more interesting methods at my disposal. Shall I take a physical picture for you next time?”

“I’d like to see you try.”

Mantis tried. 

Mantis succeeded.

The look of sheer disgust on Liquid’s face when he saw the photo was nothing short of hilarious.

“That’s me? There is no bloody way I look like that when I sleep.”

“Oh, but you do. And it’s rather adorable, if I do say so myself.”

“Shut up, Mantis.” Liquid tore the picture in half and stuffed the pieces in his pocket, walking down the hallway. “I’m going to go burn this so you can’t use it as blackmail material.”

Mantis floated after him. “With the things I’ve seen in your mind, I think I have plenty more blackmail material.”

“You can shut up now!”

That night, Liquid was back to his usual position in the center of the bed. Mantis didn’t quite know why, but he reached a hand out, touching Liquid’s free hand where it was tucked against his chest. Liquid made a soft noise around the thumb in his mouth, and clung tight to Mantis’s hand.

“I still can’t believe I tolerate you.”

But he didn’t let go.


End file.
